Best Dog Food for Dobermans: A Perfect Balanced Diet for Dobermans

Obviously, you want to give only the highest quality dog food for your beloved Doberman. But thanks to confusing pet food labeling regulations from the AAFCO, it can be difficult to distinguish between good dog food and the bad ones.

This article may help you make that determination based on detailed information. Read ahead to find out all about nutrients Dobermans need and how to choose the best dog food for Dobermans:

Important Nutrients to Look for in Dog Food Labels

Your Doberman needs food rich in a number of nutrients, including vitamins and minerals. Most commercial dog food brands are rich in many classes of nutrients. However, keep an eye out for the following in particular:

Proteins

Large breed dogs like typically fed a lot of proteins, fats, and carbs. However, proteins should be chosen carefully for Dobermans.

As an athletic dog, your Doberman needs a lot of protein in its diet. However, Dobermans as a breed are at risk for kidney disease. Too much protein can exacerbate this condition. Therefore, you should aim to feed your Doberman recommended daily amounts of protein derived primarily from animals, and not plants.

The amount of protein a Doberman needs would depend on its age, activity level, and individual size. You should go to the veterinarian and weigh the dog. The vet would be able to tell you recommended daily caloric intakes, including nutrient levels, suitable for the unique physique of your Doberman.

Fats

Dobermans are short haired, of course. Regardless, they need a significant amount of fat in their diet. That’s because the Dobermans are prone to dry skin conditions. The right amount of fat is necessary for keeping your Doberman’s coat healthy and shiny.

Carbohydrates

Dobermans are prone to hypoglycemia, that is, low blood sugar. So they do need to consume recommended amounts of carbohydrates to keep blood glucose levels up. But the type of carbs your doggo eats matter.

Avoid simple sugar carbs, like white rice, that becomes digested quickly. Make sure the dog food you buy has sourced of complex carbohydrates, like brown rice. This type of carbs releases sugar into the body slowly, so your Doberman can avoid sugar level spikes and dips that are unhealthy.

What Exactly is “High-Quality” Dog Food Suitable for Dobermans?

You may often hear that your Doberman needs “high quality” dog food. But what exactly is that?

To understand the quality level of any dog food brand, you need to look past the front of the package. Those claims about “best quality meat” and “no grains” are largely promotional. Look at the ingredients list in the back to really know what’s in the dog food.

Dog food ingredient lists tend to be long and full of terms we don’t understand. However, there’s an easy way to make the distinction between high and low quality dog food. Look at the very first ingredient on the list. It should always be a type of meat, like chicken, beef of lamb.

If you see animal by-products, whole grain, corn meal, or anything similar as the first ingredient, then you are looking at a low-quality dog food.

The best quality dog food has high concentrations of protein relative to the grain and filler content. If the first three ingredients are real meal, like chicken, beef, or fish or specific meat meals, like chicken meal, then you can largely be assured that the dog food meets quality standards as pet owners see it.

Are “Meat Meals” the Same as Animal By-Products?

By now, most pet owners are aware of what animal by-products are. These are usually parts of an animal that are not eaten, like intestines or hooves, which end up as ingredients in pet food. You should avoid pet foods containing animal by-products, especially if it appears as an ingredient early on the list.

But what about meat meals? You may see meat meal, or specifically, chicken or fish meal, as ingredients on pet food. Do note that “meal” ingredients are not animal by-products. The two are quite separate.

A specific meat meal is made out of muscle and skin but doesn’t include any of the moisture content. Take a piece of cooked chicken. This piece is only about 15 percent protein. A large percentage of it—about 60 percent—is water.

Chicken meal contains only the proteins and the fats, and no water. Therefore, it has a higher concentration of proteins.

Specific meat meals can come with or without bones. Meals with bone could contain high amounts of fluoride and other minerals, which can be harmful to Dobermans. There’s no way to know whether a meat meal in a dog food label contains bones unless you call and ask the manufacturer directly.

A word of caution—specific meat meals (labeled something like lamb meal or fish meal) is not the same as just “meat meal.” Nonspecific meat meal may include muscle, skin, or bone from animals not suited for human consumptions.

For examples, livestock that have died from disease or have been euthanized could end up in meat meals. Euthanized animal parts in meat meals are very dangerous, as the chemical used to kill the animal could still remain in the body parts.

It’s best to avoid dog food with just “meat meals” as a result. But meals with specified meat is considered to be okay, and is indeed what high-quality dog food is made out of.

Should You Give Your Doberman Only U.S. Made Food?

Most pet owners prefer to avoid dog food made in China, as the quality of these brands is dubious. However, don’t assume that a dog food manufactured in the U.S. is better for your dog.

Just because a pet food label proclaims to be manufactuered in the U.S., it doesn’t mean the brand doesn’t source ingredients from overseas. Some dog food brands claim to “cook” or package the food in American facilities. That may be true for labeling purposes.

Unless the brand specifically states that all ingredients are sourced from the U.S., don’t assume it comes from American farms. For example, pet food companies sometimes source beef or lamb meal from countries like New Zealand or Germany. Some nutrients are sourced from China as well.

In fact, it’s unavoidable to find a dog food brand that doesn’t have at least one ingredient from China. The high-quality dog food brands don’t source meat or meat meals from China. But the brands might get extracts or some nutrients, like taurine, from China.

It’s impossible to know the sources of ingredients unless the dog food manufacturer specifies the country of origin. Some brands do list the source country for the main meat ingredient used in the recipe. If not, you can always call and ask the brand which ingredients come from overseas.

Best Dog Food for Dobermans Reviews

We reviewed some of the best ranked dog food for Dobermans for your convenience:

This Taste of the Wild flavor is rich in proteins sourced from real animal meat. The first ingredient is buffalo, followed by lamb meal and chicken meal. Other meat ingredients include roasted bison, roasted venison, and beef.

Overall, this recipe includes 32 percent crude protein per serving, which is quite a high number of proteins for commercial dog food. Crude fat count is 18 percent minimum.

This recipe is completely grain free if you avoid to avoid rice type fillers. However, Dobermans do need complex carbohydrates for optimal health. The carbs in this recipe are derived from plant sources like sweet potatoes, peas, and potatoes. The microorganisms in these ingredients are viable, meaning live.

Owners who want to give their Dobermans probiotics should be happy to know that this recipe includes four fermentation products. It’s vitamin rich as well, including supplements for vitamin D, B1, B6, B12, and D. It also contains a number of minerals and folic acid.

The product is made in the U.S., but some ingredients are sourced from China and Belgium. But none of the meat ingredients are sourced from overseas. This is not a cheap dog food brand, so be ready to pay top dollar for one of the most protein-rich dog food brands in the market.

This dog food is made with real pasture raised beef, according to the manufacturer. The products is marketed as tailored for adult dogs, with amino acid profiles suited for building lean, strong muscles like the ones Dobermans have.

The primary ingredient in this dog food is beef meal. Other main ingredients include peas, ground white rice, and egg product. Some chicken fat is included. It derives fatty acids from flaxseed. The nutrient profile is about 25 percent protein, which is quite good.

This brand of dry kibble is relatively affordable compared to Taste of The Wild. It comes in a 40lb bag, and you can get about 160 cups out of it.

The ingredients list includes a good number of berries and veggies that enrich the recipe with vitamins and minerals. The manufacturer guarantee health levels of vitamin E and selenium in the recipe. It also includes live microorganism cultures for probiotic purposes.

The recipe doesn’t include any wheat or corn filler, artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. The manufacturer says it sources some ingredients from “trusted and sustainable” sources overseas.

The Hill’s Science Diet for large breed dogs is recommended for adult Dobermans weighing 55 pounds or more. If your dog doesn’t fall into this weight category, ask your veterinarian if the Science Diet is suited for your doggo.

Do note that this recipe is not recommended for large breed puppies, nursing dogs, or pregnant dogs.

The main ingredient included in the formula is chicken, followed by whole grain wheat, cracked pearled barley, and whole grain sorghum. Chicken meal and pork fat are included from seventh ingredient onward.

The recipe includes fruits like cranberries, apples and veggies like carrots, green peas, and broccoli. The formula includes what the brand calls natural flavors as well. It’s supplemented with vitamins !, B12, D3, and a number of minerals.

This dog food is made in the U.S. but the ingredients are sources “globally,” according to the manufacturer.

The brand doesn’t specify how much food to feed a Doberman per day. It recommends pet owners to refer to their vets for portion information.

The Nutro Wholesome dry kibble has an interesting shape. While most kibble has round shapes in sizes suited for toy breeds, this brand has disc shape kibble for larger dogs.

Small kibble is sometimes difficult for large dogs to eat. If that’s the case with your Doberman, the disc shape kibble might bring his or her appetite back.

The Nutro Wholesome dog food is mainly made from chicken and chicken meal. The brand says the chicken meal is a source of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, which promote bone health. The recipe includes grain sources like whole brown rice, brewer’s rice, rice bran, and sorghum.

The kibble derives vitamins from dried food plus some supplements like vitamin E supplement. It includes folic acid and essential minerals like zinc sulfate.

The manufacturer claims that the kibble is mostly made from non-GMO ingredients. However, trace amounts of GMO material could be present due to cross-contamination during processing, says a brand disclaimer.

The Purina Pro Plan for large breed dogs is intended for pets that weight 50lbs or higher. It’s promoted as a highly digestible formula with a high content of proteins per serving.

This recipe has acceptable levels of proteins, fats, and fiber. The crude protein level is minimal 26 percent, crude fat 12 percent minimally, and fiber 4.5 percent. The main ingredient is real chicken.

The formula includes a number of carbohydrate sources, like whole grain wheat and corn. The recipe does include one poultry by-product meal a bit down the ingredients list. The manufacturer says the meal product is a natural source of glucosamine, an amino acid that promotes joint health.

It has omega-6 fatty acids derived from plat sources to promote healthy skin and coat. The brand says prebiotic fiber is sourced from wheat brand, which may help promote your Doberman’s digestive health.

Do be aware that is a rather expensive recipe. A 30lb bag costs close to $50. Though it as limited animal protein ingredients, the recipe seems adequately nutrient dense for Dobermans.

The Iams dry kibble is made with three premises in mind. As the brand says it, this kibble promotes healthy bones and joints, healthy digestion, and strong muscles. The chicken flavor actually comes with chicken as the main ingredient.

This large dog breed formula is on the cheaper side, considering it contain a real meat main ingredient. However, there’s only one chicken ingredient and the rest is mainly grains and supplements for vitamins. The recipe does include an animal by-product meal as a source for nutrients that promote healthy bones and joints. Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, used to prevent osteoarthritis, comes from this animal by-product meal.

The kibble in this formula is quite chunky, about the size of a nickel. It’s big enough to make large dogs eat slowly. This is a major positive for Dobermans, who might get unwanted sugar spikes by eating way too quickly.

The manufacturer usefully provides a serving chart based on the weight of a dog. You can refer to this size chart generally, but for more specific calorie intake information, ask your veterinarian.

Conclusion

There are several great choices for dry food for your Doberman. But the best option from the above suggestions is clearly Taste of the Wild dog food. It’s the mostly protein dense formula on the list.

The brand also includes a number of real meat, including specific meat meals, in the ingredients list. It’s high on proteins and fats, and relatively low on the carbs. The carbs come from non-grain plant sources for owners with Dobermans that can’t tolerate grain.

The Taste of the Wild brand may be pricey, but it could give your Doberman all the nutrients it needs. Just remember, if you are every in doubt about what to feed your Doberman, ask your veterinarian for medically accurate advice.